


poenas dare

by onefootinsea_andoneonshore, sappho_42



Category: Ancient History RPF, Ancient Rome - Fandom, Julius Caesar - Shakespeare, Of Friends and Romans (Web Series), SHAKESPEARE William - Works
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, Arranged Marriage, Boarding School, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Dark Academia, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Lesbian Character, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period-Typical Sexism, Roommates, Secret Relationship, Victorian era, multiple lesbians, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:40:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23551702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onefootinsea_andoneonshore/pseuds/onefootinsea_andoneonshore, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sappho_42/pseuds/sappho_42
Summary: poh-EH-nas DAH-re: latin, "to be punished"Junia Marcus, a young woman of good social standing and excellent character, is sent to St. Brutus’ School for Young Ladies to train in everything from ancient history to the latest fashions. Cassandra Logan, however, who is described by her elders as "an unruly disgrace to such a prestigious bloodline,” is shipped off to the School as a last resort, one final attempt to straighten her out before she drives off every last possible suitor.When the two collide, nothing is the same.(note: NOT pronounced like penis dare)
Relationships: Junia "June" Marcus/Cassandra "Cass" Logan, Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger/Gaius Cassius Longinus
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! You're probably wondering, what is Of Friends and Romans, why is this the only fic in that tag, and why can't I find anything about that webseries on the internet? Well, OFAR is an upcoming queer webseries based on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, full of romance, drama, and of course, murder. And why is this the only fic in the tag? Well, you see, writing a webseries takes a lot of time, which while we're under quarantine, we have in spades. That's why we wrote this series. However, production on the series can't begin until after quarantine, so here we are, literally writing fanfic of something we wrote. Something that, technically, doesn't really exist yet.
> 
> But, as fans of our own work, we wanted to bring you all into this universe and these characters as soon as we could, so here it is! And don't worry, this fic doesn't spoil anything that we wouldn't disclose up front about the series.
> 
> Special thanks to Iris (@amonstercourtinginsanity on AO3) and Theo (@callixton on AO3) for reading this over!

Miss Junia Marcus was, by no means, a fool. Her tutors praised her ability to read and write from a very young age, and her mother and father went on and on about how Junia was their shining jewel, and would make a man a fantastic wife one day.

But if she was honest with herself, becoming someone’s wife was not her priority at the moment, and hadn’t been for a long time. Eighteen entire years, one could say.

Coincidentally, at eighteen, Junia was accepted to the St. Brutus’s Academy for Young Ladies, a high honor for any gentlewoman, but especially a member of the genteel Marcus clan, a family which had prided themselves for generations on getting the female side of the family into St. Brutus’s. It was nearly a rite of passage for each daughter, receiving a letter with the red wax seal of the school. For a studious girl like Junia, there was no surprise when her acceptance came in the mail. Her parents watched with patience as Junia read the neat black cursive that asked her if she would accept the honor of attending the Academy in the fall.

“Another year, another Marcus off to school,” Mr. Marcus sighed, the day before the term was to begin. Junia’s older female cousins had already attended and graduated from the Academy years before her. The last of Marcuses would carry many more expectations to school.

“Do write to us soon, my dear, I want to know all about your classmates,” Mrs. Marcus added, reaching for Junia’s hand. “And make sure that—”

“Mother, I’ll be alright, no need to worry over me,” Junia said with a smile, but removing her hand from her mother’s with a little more speed than was entirely necessary.

In truth, Junia viewed her upcoming years at the Academy as a fresh start. No more being cooped up in a house as the only child, no more Mother leering over her shoulder, criticizing and correcting her every move, lest her “young man” lose interest.

Ah, yes. Julius Keyser. The one downside of leaving for school was that she would be living infinitely closer to the one person that she hoped she would never have to see again. It was wishful thinking, of course. How could she avoid the man she was engaged to?

Well, not _engaged_ exactly. But Junia was certainly intended for Julius, betrothed to Julius, even though he was nearly a quarter-century her elder. She had seen a portrait of him, once. His stern square jaw, and intense black eyes framed by graying temples. He… well, Junia was in no rush to marry the man. For now, her main priority was school.

The main building of St. Brutus’s was an imposing marble-white manor which housed the classrooms, the dining hall, and the teacher’s offices. The student dormitories surrounded the manor, smaller but no less impressive or pristine than their mother. This is where Junia and the other ladies of the incoming class were brought on the very first day, their luggage taken by porters to their assigned rooms. 

An older man met them on the steps of the building. “Welcome, ladies, to your new home, and the finest school for women this side of the channel, St. Brutus’s Academy!” A light round of applause amongst the gathered crowd of young ladies, wide-eyed and well-dressed for their first day. The man smiled, and continued. “My name is Felix Howard, and on behalf of the headmaster here, I would like to offer you a tour of our main facilities. If you will please follow me…” 

He gestured to the grand entrance to the building, a pair of wide oaken doors with brass handles. The marble around the doors was carved into minute reliefs, miniature sculptures that watched as the party of new students filed through. Junia couldn’t help but pause to look at them. Classical heroes, ancient gods, chariots, and horses writhed motionless in marble. No one else had stopped here, but something about these figures had piqued Junia’s interest. _There has to be a history here_. She spent one more moment engrossed in the work, before rushing inside to keep up with the tour.

Inside the main hall, Mister Howard lectured the group on the school’s most famous instructors and graduates, stopping here and there to point out important rooms. Junia took special note of the location of the library— she was sure to spend a lot of time there for both studying and pleasure. The next room down caught everyone’s attention: a grand ballroom, with an oversized sparkling chandelier hanging high on the gilded ceiling. The walls were covered in rich-colored tapestries (imported from the Near East, by the look of them, Junia thought) and replica paintings by the Renaissance masters.

Mister Howard was droning on. “This ballroom was actually decorated by none other—”

There was a commotion at the entrance.

“Miss Logan, would you please—”

“I ‘would please’ to do whatever I damn well want, thank you very much!”

The young ladies gasped and pointed as they heard a female voice cursing at the doorman. Junia turned to see a very flustered man trying to think of a comeback as a girl about Junia’s age stormed away, her boots and the hem of her pinafore absolutely covered in mud. A trail followed her from the door to where she stood now. Her hair, which was in a haphazard updo of some kind, fell out of place at that very moment, covering the sour expression on her face. She smoothed it back with a quick movement of her hand, her fingers weaving through it for a moment until it was at least out of her face.

She took a moment to survey the small crowd that stared right back at her. “Is there a problem?”

The other ladies quickly busied themselves with looking everywhere but in her direction, but Junia continued to look warily at this late arrival. Who _was_ this girl? Their eyes met for a lightning-brief moment before Mister Howard cleared his throat.

“Very… _kind_ of you to join us, Miss Logan, if a little tardy,” he said, casting a disdainful look in her direction. “As I was saying…”

The tour continued. Junia made note of the locations of each classroom, and the dining hall, of course, but she also kept an eye on the one Mister Howard had called “Miss Logan”. She seemed to be thoroughly disinterested with the content of the tour, and instead took to staring out of the windows, or at the paintings on the walls, or absolutely anything else that seemed to catch her eye. All the while, her hands would not keep still, either tapping on her arms or the skirt of her dress, as if the tour was an extremely time-consuming activity that was going to make her late for something important. It took all of Junia’s courage to strike up a conversation as they walked.

“Are you quite alright?”

“Who said I wasn’t?” Miss Logan kept her gaze on the stained glass window across the hall from the group.

“It’s just, well, you’ve got mud all over your skirt and your shoes and it just seems like you’ve had an awful day and I wanted to make sure—”

“I didn’t ask for your pity.”

“And I’m not giving it.” Junia was beginning to think that maybe this Miss Logan wasn’t the type to associate herself with, but then her expression softened. They walked side by side for a while before Junia turned to her. “How did you come to be here?” she asked.

“If you must know, I didn’t exactly _choose_ to,” Miss Logan said through clenched teeth. Junia waited for an explanation, but Miss Logan just kept walking, her arms crossed in front of her.

“All right then. Can you at least, I don’t know, tell me your name?”

For the second time, Miss Logan met her eyes. “Cassandra Logan. Call me Cass.”

Junia’s smile brightened. “A pleasure to meet you, Cass. I’m Junia Marcus, but most people call me June.”

Miss Logan— _Cass,_ June remembered— raised a single eyebrow. “Like the month?”

June bristled again. _Is she so callous on purpose,_ she wondered, _or is this simply the way she is?_ “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No,” Cass said, glancing at June once more. “Nothing at all.” The tour went on.

* * *

Classes were set to begin the following Monday, three short days away. June got a chance to meet her roommate, a quiet girl named Portia who was one year younger than her. The school accepted girls fifteen to nineteen every year, so she wasn’t surprised that they were in the same dormitory. There were seven total rooms in her hallway, and seven more on the first floor, each with two girls to a room. 

June made quick friends with Lucy Thomas, the girl who roomed next door, as well as Lucy’s roommate, Artemis Dormont.

“Oh, please call me Artie, Artemis is so… old fashioned,” Artie had insisted when she was introduced. She clasped June’s hand tight and shook it vigorously as she continued. “Beyond pleased to meet you, Junia, truly, my family has also attended this school for generations, so we know all about you Marcuses, truly, so very honored to make your acquaintance-”

“Thank you!” June extricated her hand from Artie’s iron grip. “I’m afraid I have to… go do something, I’m so sorry.” Not the most gracious of excuses, but the girl seemed to take it in stride, rambling as June walked away about the beauty of the architecture at the school, or something to that effect.

June’s other two neighbors were decidedly less chatty than the others. One of them was a younger girl named Patricia, who June found a little too serious for her liking, and the other was the now infamous Cass Logan, who she only seemed to see at meals. That, and walking to the library.

It was only in the walking to the library that she saw her, specifically, because as soon as she got to the library, she seemed to disappear into thin air, no matter where June looked. Not like she was looking for her for any reason, of course. 

Monday came, and classes began. First class of the day was Italian, which June excelled in, having had lessons in it as a child. The girl Artie was also in this class, and she came up to June soon after the lesson was over.

“Miss Marcus—”

“You can just call me June, Artie, we’ve been over this.” June gathered her books as Artie continued, words leaving her mouth faster than a locomotive.

“June, yes, of course, I’m here to ask, well, you seem to have a pretty solid understanding of the Italian language, even on your first day here, and I’d just like to ask if you would perhaps consider giving me a few pointers, not now of course, we’ve only just begun, but I feel rather certain that in the future—”

“Of course. Certainly.” June had only truly caught about half of what she’d said, but she was also trying to get to her next class on time. “Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

“Oh yes! I must be running along too. Where are you headed?”

June checked her schedule, and read aloud, “Ancient History, with—”

“Professor Cyrus, of course! I’m headed there too!” Artie said with a smile. No matter how much Miss Dormont’s constant rambling irked her, June couldn’t help but find the girl a little amusing. And inspiring, to a small extent. _What is it like to be so open with people?_ she wondered. _To never have to hide your feelings away?_

When the two girls came to Professor Cyrus’s room, Artie instantly found a group of first years to sit with. Perhaps it would be rude to intrude. The only other open seat was near the window, which might have been distracting to a less studious pupil. But Junia would gladly take it if it meant a little break from Artie’s relentless chatter and—

“We meet again, Marcus.” 

Cass Logan was sitting right next to her. Junia would’ve whacked her head off of the desk if it wouldn’t attract attention (and hurt like a mother-of-pearl). 

“How do we keep finding each other?” Cass asked. June glanced at her. She hadn’t realized Cass had noticed her at all on the occasions that they’d seen each other in the halls. “Out of the whole school, I believe I’ve seen you the most often.”

“I could say the opposite about you, Miss Logan,” June said, unpacking her bag. “Though I will ask, why are you in the library so often?”

“Is there something wrong with an appreciation for fine literature?” Cass asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Perhaps not, but I do wonder how you seem to disappear into thin air whenever you enter.”

“Have you been watching me?” Cass’s words were that of discomfort, but her tone was teasing. June did her best to keep herself from blushing. _Stop that,_ she told herself, _don’t let her get on your nerves._ It was not, in fact, her nerves that Cass was affecting, but June wouldn’t even let herself think of that.

“No, I’m just curious.”

Cass smiled mischievously, glancing at the door as Professor Cyrus entered in a hurry. “Then curious you will stay, my dear.”

Before June could bite back with some witty retort, the professor called the class to order.

It was business as usual for the rest of the day— Cass was also in June’s Manners and Etiquette class (which was almost an oxymoron, June thought, Cass Logan in an etiquette class), and Artie was, thank whatever god was listening, in none of her other classes. She was even about to call the whole day utterly uneventful, until just before she got into bed.

Portia, June’s roommate, looked over at her warily across the candlelit room that they shared. “Is it true that you sat next to Cassandra Logan in Ancient History this morning?” 

_Word travels fast,_ June thought as she finished braiding her hair. “Well, it was more like _she_ sat next to _me,_ but yes. Why? Was I wrong to?”

“Not really. Well,” Portia chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, “they just… say things about her is all.”

“What things?” June asked a little too quickly.

Portia, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice. “Well, they say she has a terrible temper. That her parents shipped her out here because no other boarding school would have her.” Portia spoke quickly, as if she wasn’t meant to share what she was saying.

“Well, that’s… interesting. She seemed a bit rebellious when I first met her, on the orientation tour, but not… like that!”

“That’s how she traps girls.” June leaned in despite herself. “They also say she…” Portia looked around suspiciously. “A friend of mine once caught her dressing in _boys’ clothes_.”

“How queer!”

“No, I know! That’s why you’ve got to stay away from her. She’ll try to corrupt you, she probably thinks it’s like a challenge to seduce someone of your upbringing.”

“Sorry, seduce me?”

“Make you her friend, you know. Tempt you into skipping classes, stealing food from the dining hall— oh, whatever crosses her mind.”

“Portia, that’s a little sensationalist, don’t you think? Surely she’s not as bad as all that, or else she wouldn’t have gotten accepted into the school, right?” June said, partially out of common sense, but in no small part to convince herself.

“I suppose you’re right,” Portia sighed, pulling up the covers. “Can’t be that bad.”

June blew out the candle on her nightstand before doing the same. _Can’t be that bad,_ her mind echoed. _Can it?_

* * *

It could. Or at least, parts of it. The explosive temper, certainly.

Two days later, in their shared Ancient History class, Cass muttered something under her breath after Professor Cyrus corrected her on the pronunciation of some old Latin name. June knew very well that Cyrus was the one who was wrong (Using ecclesiastical pronunciation? This man was obviously a professor of history, not Latin.) But June had kept her mouth shut— unlike Cass. 

“Something to share with your classmates, Miss Logan?” the professor snapped. He was old and wiry, but by no means deaf, it seemed.

Cass looked up from where she was scratching something into the paint on her desk. Her expression was stony.

“I said that you can shove Palatine Hill right up your—”

“Miss Logan!” The professor spoke over her as the classroom stood shocked. “I will not tolerate—”

“Here’s what _I’m_ not going to tolerate, _Milo,_ I’m not going to be called a fool in front of all of my classmates, and I’m _certainly_ not going to tolerate being told that I’m wrong when I know I’m right!” At this point, Cass was packing all of her things away. “So I’m sorry, _professor,_ but I’d rather not waste my time in a classroom where my professor is an ignorant dunce.” And just like that, she was out of the room.

“Miss Logan— someone, go after her, she needs to— Miss Logan!” Professor Cyrus’s face was an angry red color, and the rest of the class was smiling into their textbooks.

June’s hand shot up. “Professor, should I—”

“Yes, yes, thank you for volunteering Miss Marcus. A talking-to from a more rational, honorable student might do her good.”

June was already out the door.

 _Where would Cass be?_ Thankfully, Cass didn't have too much of a head start. June found her in the garden behind the main building, kicking at small stones in the grass.

“If you’ve come to lecture me about my ‘unladylike behavior,’ you can shove it along with Cyrus.” Cass barely even glanced at her. Apparently, it didn’t matter who she was to Cass, and it stung.

June sighed. “Actually, I came to check on you, but if you’re going to brush me off like that, I can go back to class.”

Cass looked back up at June, and blinked hard. “Oh, it’s you.”

June scoffed. “Who else? The professor needed someone to go after you, and I didn’t think your attitude would be even worse than his Latin.”

Then something happened that June was not expecting: Cass laughed. Not a loud laugh, but not a fake one, either. Genuine amusement. “It was really bad, wasn’t it? I wasn’t the only one who heard that?”

“I think you and I were the only ones who noticed,” June said, with a quiet laugh of her own. “He told me that I should give you a stern talking to, but I’m not really one for reprimanding.”

“Ah, yes, the classic ‘maybe a peer will make her listen.’” Cass narrowed her eyes at June. “Here’s a thought— how about, if I tell Cyrus that you gave some long lecture or something, you come with me to see this place that I found.”

June took a step back. “Right now? We’re supposed to go back to class soon, you know.”

“For all he has to know,” Cass said, kicking one last rock across the lawn, “you just lectured me for a long time. Now, are you up for a little adventure, or no?”

It was just as Portia had told her. Skipping class, cursing at teachers— but there was no way that she was going to spend another hour listening to Cyrus’s unbearable pronunciation. Was that worth whatever Cass was proposing?

“Alright. Where is this ‘adventure’?” June asked with a sigh.

Cass let out a whoop of excitement, and looped her arm around June’s. “I knew you would be up for it! It’s just down the hill, come on!”

They set off at a brisk pace down the hill that the main building stood on top of, passing the dormitories and the stables on the way.

“You’ve been off school property? Is that why I never see you during the weekends?” June looked over at Cass, who seemed to be truly excited about something for the first time since the two had met.

“Just the once. The rest of the time, I’m in the library.”

“And where is it in the library that you can seemingly disappear into?” The question had been annoying June for nearly a week now.

Cass opened her mouth to answer, but closed it quickly, looking up at June suspiciously. “You got me talking about myself. How did you do that?”

June laughed. “I didn’t do anything, Miss Logan, any slip of the tongue was entirely your own fault.”

After a few more minutes of walking and idle chatter, they came upon a large row of hedges, taller than the both of them, with a single opening on one end.

“Is this what I think it is?” June whispered, suddenly in awe.

“A hedge maze. I haven’t gotten through to the other side of it yet, but I still like wandering around. Helps me think.” Cass looked up at her. “Shall we?” June simply nodded, still taking in the moment. A hedge maze! Right in their own backyard!

As if she could read her mind, Cass said, “It doesn’t belong to the school. Or at least, I don’t think it does. My best guess is it belongs to the rich man who lives just beyond those trees back there.” She pointed to the beginnings of a proud forest a ways off. “Some fellow named Keyser.”

It took everything in June to not stop in her tracks. _Julius? Here?_ She knew he was close, but this was less than a mile! Surely, Cass was mistaken. Maybe he had a brother or something.

They walked through the maze in near silence for a while, keeping note of each turn so that they could find their way back (and June keeping note of the Keyser mansion, barely visible above the hedge). Cass glanced at June periodically, but it was only about a quarter-hour later that she finally broke.

“You’ve been eyeing the Keyser place for a while now, Marcus. What’s going on?” Cass turned to face her, and June swallowed.

None of her friends at home knew she was betrothed. Why should she tell Cass the truth? They’d only just met, surely she didn’t have to know everything about her right this minute. Right?

“I just… wonder about who lives there, is all.”

Cass considered this for a moment, before seeming to consider it satisfactory. “A real scoundrel, apparently,” she said, continuing to walk.

June blinked hard. “What?”

“Yeah. Apparently he’s engaged, but has had a few… well, would they be mistresses if he’s not yet married?” Cass said this bluntly, but she had no way of knowing how it would impact June. _Mistresses?_

“Oh,” was all she could say. It wasn’t like she was too broken up about it, but reputation meant something, and a woman married to a scoundrel was never one who was regarded highly. Had her mother known? Had she cared? Would it matter to them if she became the trophy wife of an old man, meant to sit still, look pretty, and bear children while he slept around? June tried to convince herself that Cass couldn’t possibly be right. But still, tears were springing to her eyes.

“I don’t understand how you could do that.” Again, Cass’s words seemed to answer her thoughts.

“Do what?”

“Be engaged and be disloyal. If I were engaged to a woman—” She stopped mid-step. “If I were a man, that is, I don’t see how I could ever do that. What type of idiot would-- June, are you alright?”

June wiped her eyes as discreetly as she could. “Of course, of course. The wind bites here, is all.”

Cass looked unconvinced. “We can go back now, if you’d like.” 

“No.” _What are you thinking?_ Perhaps right now, in the light of this upheaval, she just needed someone to be with. “I’d rather stay here with you, if you don’t mind.” 

Another surprise: Cass was speechless. For a moment, at least. “Oh. Yes, yes, of course. Would you like to keep walking, or just sit and chat?”

“Just sit? Where, on the ground?” June wasn’t truly incredulous, but she was not inclined to get her skirt all mucked up when she still had classes that day.

“Where else?” And just like that, Cass had plopped herself down on the dirt path, her back to the hedges. “Come on, it isn’t muddy or anything, worst case, you have to brush off your skirt before we head back.” She held out one hand to June, who switched her bag to her other shoulder and took her hand as she sat.

“Better?”

“I suppose it’s not so bad.” It was only a few seconds later that they dropped each other's hands.

Cass smiled, and it must have been contagious, because soon June found herself giggling through the remains of her tears. The two girls lost themselves in laughter, inexplicable though it was. No words had been used— but then again, none were necessary. 

June was so distracted by laughing, in fact, that she didn’t notice Cass leaning forward and resting her dirty hand to her cheek until they were practically eye-to-eye. “You’re still crying.” _How had she noticed?_ June herself had barely felt the tear rolling down her face.

“Sorry,” was all June had time to say before Cass wiped it away.

“There. A little better.” Cass pulled away a little. “Sorry to get up close and personal like that.”

“No, it’s alright. I— I’m sorry you had to see me like this. It’s terribly improper, I know.” June was still laughing, but with more than a touch of self-deprecation. 

“Don’t be sorry, June,” Cass said, cracking her signature wry smile. “And besides, you and I both know that I’ve never been one to stand on manners and formalities.”

June smiled. “I truly appreciate having a friend such as yourself.” Without fully thinking it through, she wrapped her arms around Cass’s shoulders and hugged her tight. 

Cass seemed surprised. June didn’t blame her. _We’ve only known each other for a day, really._ Thankfully, when Cass spoke again, she was understanding. “Hey, don’t worry about it. If you need someone to talk to, if you need anything, you know where my room is.”

June breathed a sigh of relief. Then: “Actually… I _would_ like to know one thing.”

“Which is?”

Now it was June’s turn to smile wryly at Cass. “Where is your secret hiding spot in the library?”

Cass leaned her head back, almost pushing her head straight through the hedges. “You just won’t let that go, will you?”

“Nope!”

She sighed, looking up in the air as if she were reading two different things on a far-off chalkboard, considering her options. “Fine. Meet me in the library at three o’clock on Saturday. Don’t be late.”

June’s grin turned from wry to radiant. “Why, Miss Logan, I will gladly accept.”

“Don’t call me that, please. You almost sound like Cyrus.”

“All right, Cass. I’ll see you soon.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June gets a few new assignments, then meets with Cass in the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Quarantine is making the both of us the most productive we've ever been. This is a shorter one, but don't worry, chapter 3 is already in the works!
> 
> Also, if you want to share this chapter with friends on tumblr, you can reblog it @this-i-swear-to-you.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Miss Marcus, the Headmaster would like to see you.”

Two days after her hedge maze adventure, June was called by the headmaster’s secretary to leave class. She had panicked for a moment, wondering if she was going to be expelled for cutting a class— then she remembered the lie (no, it was an excuse) she had given to Cyrus the next day. Then again, what if the Headmaster _had_ somehow found out? But how could he… 

The walk to his office, thankfully, wasn’t too far. 

The Headmaster was a rotund and white-haired gentleman with an impeccably-paneled office, the kind that suggests an air of authority with or without its inhabitant. Mister Konig, as his placard announced him to be, was at his desk when June entered.

“Ah, Miss Marcus. Come in.” June curtsied just as her Manners and Etiquette class had drilled her, and folded her skirts when she sat. “I must commend you on your excellent grades, Miss Marcus, especially in—“ he scanned a note in front of him, “— history.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Of course, of course. But as you have no doubt noticed, not all of our students are as naturally gifted as you. This is why we have a system of student-to-student tutoring in place here at St. Brutus’s. To cut to the quick, I’d like you to tutor one of these less fortunate girls, one who I believe is in your class. Do you know a—“ here he consulted his paper again “—Cassandra Logan?”

June tried, and probably failed, to keep her expression neutral. “Yes. Yes, she’s in a few of my classes, sir.”

“Good, very good. Tutoring begins after the final classes of the day, and must happen at least twice a week. When exactly that is would be up to you and Miss Logan. Do you have any questions?”

“Forgive me, sir, I’m having a little trouble following. What subject will I be helping her with?”

Konig sighed. “Ancient History, of course. Professor Cyrus will provide you with all the necessary materials.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t noticed that Cass was having trouble in Ancient History, but then again, she _was_ constantly butting heads with Professor Cyrus, which probably wasn’t doing her any favors. “Alright then.”

There were a few moments of awkward silence before Konig motioned to the door. “You may go, Miss Marcus.”

* * *

After Ancient History came Manners and Etiquette, a class that June had been informed would be taking place today in the ballroom. Today, they would be dancing.

Their teacher, Madame Laurent, was a tall, middle-aged woman with her hair tied back in a high bun. She always seemed to be looking down at her students, even while she was sitting down. Perhaps it had to do with the sharp click of her dance shoes, or her black-tipped cane that kept the musicians in time.

“Today, girls, I will be pairing you up for all your dancing lessons this semester. To ensure that every girl learns her part in time for our mid-year Winter Ball, I expect you all to be on time to class and to meet with your partner as soon as possible. Is that clear?”

A chorus of “Yes, Madame Laurent” sounded from the group.

She began to read from a list. “Sydney Charles with May Kimberly, Cecily Turner and Lillian Garrett, Junia Marcus and—” June held her breath— “Portia Catonis, Cassandra Logan and Katherine Soren…”

June stopped listening after that. Portia was a lovely girl, and they’d grown close from rooming together. As June looked around for her new partner, she caught Cass looking at her. _Who did she get partnered with to make her look so upset?_ June hadn’t heard of a Katherine Soren in their year, but sure enough, a dark-haired girl who looked to be a little older than either of them walked up to Cass and introduced herself. Cass blinked hard, and turned to shake Katherine’s hand.

“Hello, June!” Portia tapped her on the shoulder and shook June from her musings. 

“My apologies Portia. I didn’t see you there.” _I probably looked terribly improper, craning around to see Cass and Katherine like that. What might Portia think?_ “I’m so pleased we’re going to be partners. I was afraid I’d be paired with someone I hardly knew.” 

“Oh, this will make practicing so much easier! No trying to coordinate schedules and whatnot. Oh! I meant to tell you earlier, I heard…”

Portia kept talking, tittering on about another girl from their floor that June hadn’t caught the name of.

(Out of the corner of her eye, June saw Cass move away from Katherine.)

* * *

Saturday finally arrived. Three pm sharp, not a minute late, she arrived in the library. But there was no Cass.

June considered asking the librarians if they’d seen her. Or maybe Cass was waiting for her somewhere in the stacks. But where? 

Absentmindedly, she picked an aisle of shelves and began to walk down it. The peeling titles of the oldest books caught her attention more than anything, and more than a few times she lost sight of what she was doing there. _If there was only a place in the library where I could sit and read as long as I wanted…_

June tried the next aisle over. Still no Cass. The next shelf she came to was Poetry. She wondered briefly if Cass had ever read a poem. She didn’t quite seem the type. She walked down this row quicker, sure that she wouldn’t be there.

Until she heard a voice from behind the last shelf. “That you, Marcus?”

_Cass?_ June sped to the end of the aisle.

The last shelf in the row had been pulled slightly forward, revealing what looked to be an unused storage area, but the few crates of paper and books had been moved and stacked to create what could only be described as a reading nook. A tattered quilt was laid across the hardwood floors, featuring a swirling pattern of pink and red. Misshapen pillows of different sizes and shapes were pushed up against the walls and placed on boxes to create places to sit, and books of all different kinds were stacked around.

Most noticeably, sitting atop a crate that was up against the wall, was Cass, a book still open on her lap. She looked up at June like she was trying not to laugh. “For a moment, I thought you’d never show.”

“I’m not the one hiding in a closet, Cass. It took me all of this time just to find you in here.” June looked around at the assorted comfort items. “Did you assemble this all yourself?”

“I did some of it,” Cass said, with only a touch of pride. “The quilts and crates were here before, I assume they’re gifts from my class-cutting ancestors.”

“Still impressive— wait, cutting class? _Cass…_ ”

“Oh, don’t pretend you would tell on me. I’m the one who showed it to you.” Well, maybe it was true. But Cass’s anger melted away as quickly as it had been sparked, and for some reason it warmed June to see her smile again.

“I won’t tell, don’t worry.” June found a spot on the floor next to Cass and took a seat. “How did you even find this place?”

“Just some poking around.” The few rays of sunlight that came through the small window in the room gleamed in her eyes.

“Really?”

“No. A friend of mine used to go here, she found it before I did.” At the mention of her friend, Cass’s expression dimmed, her eyes falling to a nearby stack of books. June cleared her throat. 

“You know, I met with the headmaster yesterday.”

“What for?”

June reached for the Ancient History text in her bag and placed it between them. “He asked me to tutor you in history, and since we’re together now, there’s no better time for our first session.”

Cass closed the book on her lap with a _thump._ “No. No. I come here to get _away_ from school, you can’t corrupt this sacred space with—”

“The headmaster said we have to meet twice a week and—"

“June. Please. Not right now.” Cass always seemed to be cracking some kind of joke, but she was deadly serious now. “I need a place where I can just… be myself. No expectations, no classwork hanging over my head, just me and my thoughts.”

June hesitated for a second, then put away the textbook. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry, I’ll let you be.” She stood up and began to leave.

“No!” Cass grabbed her hand before she was out of reach. “Stay. Please. I…” She met June’s eyes. “I like having you here.” 

Her hand on June’s wrist was warm, almost coaxing along with her words. And June gave in. “Alright,” she said, sitting back down. “What if we just read together?” She eyed the volume on Cass’s lap. “What’s your book about?”

Cass looked down at the book, then at June, and then back to the book. Was she… _embarrassed?_ “Poetry. Greek.”

June’s eyes lit up. “You know Ancient Greek?” June had always wanted to study Greek, but her father had told her when she was younger that Latin would be more useful in the long run, so she’d stuck with that.

That was it— Cass was definitely blushing. “Bits and pieces. I can read you some if you like?”

“Would you? Please?”

June scooted forward so that she could read along with what Cass was saying.

_“Kai gelaisas imeroen, to m’ é man  
_ _kardían en st íthesen eptóaisen_  
 _ós gar es se idó broche’, ós me phónais’  
oud en et’ eikei.”_

June was enthralled. She had absolutely no idea what Cass had said, but the way each syllable sounded on her tongue suggested a kind of poetry that didn’t require comprehension. The way Cass had spoken with practiced ease. The way she let each phrase ring. The way she pronounced the unfamiliar glyphs as if they were in her native tongue— it was a nearly-sacred experience.

“Who wrote it?”

“No one.” Cass closed the book quickly. “I mean, it’s not listed.”

“Are you sure? Maybe it’s listed in the back somewhere.” She went to take the book from Cass, but she moved it out of her lap and into her bag before she could touch it.

“I checked, it’s not there,” she rushed. “It doesn’t matter, anyways. It’s the words that matter.”

June smiled. “You know, I have some Latin books of poetry that I think you’d enjoy. How’s this— we’ll each bring something to read, perhaps on Saturdays, like this, and have a book club of sorts! What do you think?”

Cass returned the grin. “I, uh. I’d enjoy that, actually. No one else I know shares my taste in poetry.”

“Then count me as the first.” And the two of them sat together until the dinner bell rang, talking and reading to each other.

And smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new addition to the correspondences list:
> 
> Katherine: Casca
> 
> The quoted poetry is from Sappho 31, the translation reads:
> 
> your honey speech, your lovely laugh  
> that flutters the heart inside my chest.  
> this I swear to you,  
> as once I set my eyes on you
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this new chapter, and we hope to see you soon with the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone is wondering, the character correlations between this and Julius Caesar:
> 
> June: Brutus  
> Cass: Cassius  
> Julius: take a guess  
> Artie: Artemidorus  
> Portia: Portia (crazy, i know)
> 
> There's some more but they haven't talked a lot yet, these are the players to worry about for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and we hope to see you on the next one!


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